Wilson broke his leg against Sunderland in October but played 75 minutes in a behind-closed-doors match against Northampton on Tuesday.

And the Potters boss is hopeful Wilson's return is imminent, insisting the 25-year-old's contribution to the side is vital.

Asked when he thought he would have Wilson back, Pulis said: "I'm not sure - as quick as we possibly can.

"I rate him as one of the best players at this football club and a very, very good Premier League player. We need him back.

"The balance of the team and squad has not been right. We have tried ever so hard to correct that in the summer and in the last window, but not been able to do it for all sorts of reasons - there is no one to blame.

"It has left us a little bit unbalanced, so to get Marc back in will be a real bonus for us.

"He has trained for the last month or so, but we have been careful with him in lots of respects.

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t's wrong to be making a joke out of Bender's name at the expense of gay people. It's the kind of childish, uncivilised thing that Football365 would deride and ridicule if it was another media outlet saying. Why is there a need for jokes like this? Does it make your writers feel like men? F365 might suggest that I 'lighten up', but it is genuinely traumatic for people who have been oppressed all their lives to be the butt of jokes, and to be told...

ou can't blame De Gea for wanting to leave, he has enough to do in front of goal as it is as well as taking on the role of Man Utd's version of Derek Acorah in trying to contact and organise a defence that isn't there.